Self-threading shuttle.



A. MEUNIER. SELF-THREADING SHUTTLE. y APPLIGATION FILEDAPR. 25, 1913.

Pateted Apr. 21, 1914 (i2/@Minnow ALFRED MEUNIER, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS,

SELF-THREADING SHUTTLE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

Application iled April 25, 1913. Serial No. 763,671.

To all u2/tom it may4 concern i Be it known that I, ALFRED MEUNIER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Taunton, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful VImprovements in Self-Threading Shuttles, of which the following is la speeication.

. The present invention relatesto improvements in selfethreading shuttles, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby the yarn or thread may be readily brought in proper position within the eye, and also whereby the proper tension may be obtained as the yarn is drawn through the eye.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel tensioning means which may be readily adjusted so as to obtain the proper tension for all kinds of work, thereby enabling the device to be employed for the weaving of fine or coarse fabric, a uniform weave and a straight selvage being always obtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shuttle construction by means of which it is possible to weave a hard drawn filling without the necessity of moistening the same asis usually necessary, and which will eliminate the necessity for stopping the loom owing to the slacking up of the filling so that the stop motion is not operated.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a self-threading construction for shuttles which does not result in an objectionable weakening of the shuttle, which can be readily applied to the shuttles now in use, and which is simple and inexpensive in its construction.

With these and other objects in view which will readily appear as the description progresses, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown inl the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of one end of a shuttle provided with a self-threading eye constructed in accordance with lthe invention. View through the side bore of the shuttle and the eye. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the eye showing the same as Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional mounted Within the bore of the shuttle. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the eye. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the shuttle head, portions being broken away and shown in section to bring out more clearly the manner in which theA yarn is directed into the eye from the guide slit of the shuttle head. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified coustruction of eye. Fig. 7 is an end view of the modiied form of eye.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures of thev drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the character A designates a shuttle which is substantially the same in general construction as thel shuttles now in use, the ends thereof being pointed and provided .with the usual metal tips 1. The head of the shuttle is provided with a transverse bore' 2 which extends downwardly from the top of the shuttle and communicates at its end with an intersecting` and transversely disposed bore 3 which opens through one side of the shuttle. The vertical bore 2 has one side thereof cut away at 4 for the purpose of establishing communication with one end of the usual 'yarnreceiving recess 5 of the shuttle.

A diagonal slit 6 is formed in the top Iof the shuttle head and extends from one side of theshuttle head to the side of the vertical bore 2 whichy is located opposite the inner end of the horizontal bore 3. This top diagonal sli-t 6 is intersected byl a sidediagonal slit 7,'the said slit 7 communicating with the horizontal bore 3 at one side thereof, and intersecting the same at a point slightly above the bottom thereof.

A substantially cylindrical eye 8 is litted within the horizontal bore 3, the said eye being formed with a longitudinal threadreceiving opening 9. Extending transversely through the eye 8 and intersecting the threadereeeiving opening 9- is a slot 10 -within which a tensioning spring 11 is mounted. This tensioning spring 1l 'is formed of a substantially U-shaped strip of loo spring material, the curved end of which y faces toward the inner end of the eye. The top of the tensioning spring is engaged by the inner end of an adjusting screw v12, while the lower arm of the tensioning spring bears against the yarn B andfric-tionally holds the same againstth'e bottom of the thread-receiving opening 9. It will thus be obvious that the spring 11 will serve to produce the necessary tension in the as itis drawn from the, shuttle, and by .properly adjusting the screw 12, th1s tension .may be either increased. or decreased as found necessary.

The side slit 7 of the shuttle head interi i ,the side thereof remote from the yarn receiving recess 5 ofthe shuttle with an extension 15 which has the'lower side thereof curved androunded at 152` This'extension 15 extends downwardly below the-intersection of the side diagonal slit 7 of the shuttle head with the horizontal bore 3 so that the yarn as it enters the horizontal bore 3 from `the side diagonal 'slit 7 will engage the curved edge 15a of the extension 15 and be thereby deflected downwardly so as -to enter the mouth of the inner slit 14 of the eye 8. The outer slit 13 of the eye 8 extends downwardly 'belowV the intersection of theside diagonal slit 7 with .the horizontal bore 3, although as the end of the yarn is drawn rearwardly in the act of threading the shut'- tle, the yarn will be causedto enter the mouth of the slit 13 and pass into the-horizontal thread-receiving opening 9 of the eye, being drawn under the tensioning spring 11 from\both the inner and outer ends of the e e. f

y'When it is desired to-thread the shuttle, the end ofthe yarn B is drawn forwardly over the topv of the shuttle head and caused to enter the top diagonal slit 6. After the yarn has entered this top diagonal slit 6, the end of the yarn B is drawn rearwardly 4so as to bring the yarn into the'side diagonal slit 7. From lthis side diagonal-slit--7, the yarn yB, is brought vdirectly :into the transverse slot `lO'of the eye at the middleportion ofthe eye; The curved edge. ofthe extension 15 at 'the inner end of the eye acts, as has been-before described, to cause the yarn to pass through the inner inclined slit 14 into the opening of the eye, while .the drawing of the end of the *yarn rearwardly by the operator `causes the yarn B to pass through the outer slit 13 of the' eye so as to enter theopening 9 thereof'. By this simple operation, the shuttle is threaded and the yarn brought under the tensioning spring 11. Owing to the peculiar arran e- I ment ofthe inclined slits --13 and 14 at t e ends of the eye 8, it is limpossible for the shuttle to be accidentally .unthreaded While in use, and any desired tension may be obtained by properly .manipulating the adjusting screw 12. The use of this adjusting While the improved shutt e eye has been illustrated in the drawings as applied to the right hand side of the shutt-le body, it will, of course, be understood that the same can be applied to the left hand side of the shuttle body as conditions may require, and by way of showing the structural modification that may be resorted to in the construction of the eye itself, a modified form of the eye 8 is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings. This eye 8 is substantially the same as that previously described, being provided with the thread-receiving opening 9UL and also with the transverse slot 1()a within which'the tensioning spring 16 is mounted. An adjusting screw 17 is provided for regulating the tension in the spring 16, and one of the corners of the said spring 16 is rounded as indicated at 16h. The extension 18, -corresponding to the beforementioned -extension 15, is substantially the same in construction and operates in an identical `manner to bring theyarn into the inner slit 13,a of the eye. The outer slit 14n of the ye e, linstead of extending downwardly from t e transverse slot 10a, as in the previous instance, extends upwardly therefrom. The operationis substantially the same, although owing to the slightly different position of this outer slit 14a of the eye, one of the corners of the tensioning sprin 16 is neces sarily rounded at 16, as be ore described,

vfor the purpose of providing a proper clear ance for the yarn as it enters the bore 9 from the outer slit 15a.

in order to additionally strengthen the head of the shuttle and to protect the lsame from splitting, it is preferable to drive into the head portion of the shuttle body in rear of,and adjacent to, the bore 3 that receives the eye, a reinforcing 'dowel X of wood or metal, and other equivalent details may ob* viously be employed, as well as changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction resorted to without departing from thev spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new 4and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a shuttle body, of ahollow tubular shuttle eye having a yarn receiving Opening. a bowed tension spring completely housed within said yarn receiving opening, and exteriorly accessible ten sion adjusting means for said spring.

2. The ycombination of a shuttle eye formed with a yarn receiving opening anda transverse slot intersecting the yarn receiving opening, a tension spring doubled upon itself to formleaves and mounted within the yarn receiving opening, and operative means bearing against one vof the leaves of said spring for adjusting the tension thereof.

3. rIhe combination of a hollow tubular shuttle eye, a bowed tension spring mounted within the said eye, and means for adjust` ing the tension of said spring, said4 means also constituting retaining means for holding the eye in operative position in the shuttle body.

4. A shuttle eye formed with a longitudinal yarn receiving opening and also provided at an intermediate `point in its length with a slot which intersects the yarn receiving opening and extends through one side of the eye, longitudinally inclined guide slits being provided which extend from opposite ends of the eye to the slot, and adjustable tensioning means Within the yarn receiving opening. V

5. A shuttle provided with a bore and a guide slit intersecting the bore, an eye fitted within the bore and formed with a longitudinal yarn receiving opening, said eye being provided with a transverse slot intersectn ing the yarn receiving opening and opening through one side of the eye so as to com.- municate with the guide slit of lthe shuttle head, end slits being provided in'the e e which lead from opposite ends thereof to t e transverse slot, and an adjustable tension spring mounted within the longitudinal yarn receiving opening of the eye.

6. A shuttle head having a bore therein and provided with a guide slit intersecting the bore, an eye fitted within the borek and provided with a longitudinal yarn receiving opening, said eye being formed wlth a transverse slot intersecting the yarn receiving opening and extending through one side of the eye so as to communicate with the guide slit of the shuttle head, the inner end of the 'eye being formed with an extension which projects over the intersection of the guide slit with the bore and has an inclined side, axially inclined end slits being i provided in the eye which lead from opposite ends thereof to the slot thereof, the inner end slit be1n g adapted to receive the yarn from the :inclined sideA of the extension, and an adjustable tension spring mounted wit-hin the longitudinal yarn receiving opening.

7. A shuttle provided in the head thereof with intersecting bores which open through the top and one side thereof, said shuttle head being also provided with intersecting top and side guide slits, the top guide slit communicatingfwith the top bore while the side guide slit communicates with one side of the side bore, an eye itted within the side lbore and provided with a longitudinal yarn receiving opening, said eye being also formed with a transverse slot intersecting the yarn .receiving opening and extending through one side of the eye so as to communicate with the side guideslit, the inner end of V the eye being formed with a longitudinal eX` tension-Which has an inclined side and eX- tends over the intersection of the side guide slit and side bore` aXiallv inclined end slits 

